The
“bastides” of the South-West of France (there are around 300) were built
between theXIIth and the XIVth
centuries.

One characteristic of the Dropt “bastides” is that they were
established over a very short period : second half of the XIIIth century, from
Castillonnès (1259) to Monpazier (1284). They are the result of an original
policy designed to control the space and bring populations together :
voluntarist policy, egalitarian and encouraging freedom.

Foundation
of a "bastide" :

The decision to found a “bastide” was the result of"paréage"
contract settled between a lord or an ecclesiastical establishment, owner of the
land, and an authority – king, seneschal, lord – in charge of setting up the
new town, populating it and protecting it ; its administration and the profits
derived from its exploitation were shared according to various methods.

The
motivations that led to founding a “bastide” were complex :

-
the forests
that covered the Dropt banks were zones of insecurity, that harboured gangs of
pillagers who devastated the country. The creation of a city under royal
protection was supposed to restore order and safety in the area.

- the new
inhabitants had to clear the surroundings of the “bastides” ; the land
became a source of income for all : sovereign, doners and donees- some of the
people who settled down in the “bastide” came from neighbouring domains ;
this led to weaken these unruly and predatory lords.

- some
“bastides”, conceived to serve as fortified towns, could command the
Dropt valley, easy zone for enemy invasion.

A
"franchises"
and "customs"
charter was added to the “paréage” contract, a set of privileges designed
to attract as many new inhabitants as possible.

The newcomers had to build according to a given plan and in a limited
time (or else they were fined) and to take part in collective interest works
(church, marketplace, if needed ramparts and fortified gates).

Once the location chosen, expert-jurors drew the limits of the city to be, and
structured it on a plan as regular as possible, based on an orthogonal
pattern (except in case of topographic necessity) : the main “charretières”
streets for carts (8 metres wide) and the secondary orthogonal “traversières”
streets (6 metres wide) cut out rectangular blocks, each allotted in originally
identical (egalitarianism) 8 metres wide parcels (length of a beam taken from a
whole tree). On the “charretières” streets, houses face each other, the
back of the allotments open onto an alley parallel to the main street, the
“carreyrou” (word still used today).

Monpazier

Castillonnès

At
the heart of the “bastide”, the square, also square in shape, lined
by houses with arcades which form a covered street (“les couverts”) ; the
square is a forum and the market place. The “charretières” and the
“traversières” streets lead to the square by its corners ; the access to
the square takes place through a slanted passage, the “cornières” (today,
the “cornières” often refer to the “couverts” themselves). At the
centre of the square, a hall accommodates the consular house on the first
floor.

The Dropt “bastides” have generally kept in great part the original
orthogonal pattern of the streets layout, the squares lined with “couverts”
and sometimes remains of fortifications (ramparts, gates). The market has, most
of the time, disappeared (fire or destruction) with one exception : the
beautiful market of Villeréal. The Monpazier “bastide” is the best
preserved architectural scheme.

To this day, the “bastides”
constitute the network of the larger towns of the region, capitals of the
districts with their weekly markets.

After having been forgotten for a long
time, the “bastides” are subject to renewed interest : restoration and
development of a form of cultural tourism.

Since 1983, the “Centre d’étude des bastides” (the centre
for the study of the « bastides », antenne Aquitaine : BP3 –
47150 Monflanquin) is devoted to the study and the life of the “bastides”,
to the implementation of the conditions to make living in a “bastide”
possible and desirable. It has triggered the creation in Monpazier of the “Bastides
Workshop”, a place of reception, information and work on the
“bastides”.